Daily Archives: April 7, 2015

Busy Season 2015: Fixing the Tax System

By

tax frustrationHow tax professionals would remake the tax code. 

Imagine there’s no deductions,
it’s easy if you try.
No 8965, no1095-A,
above us, only sky.
Imagine all the CPAs,
Living for today…

By CPA Trendlines Research

There’s nothing like another tax season to prod accountants into imagining about ways to reform the nation’s tax system. In the this year’s CPA Trendlines Busy Season Barometer, some CPAs have specific suggestions; others are calling on the profession to take a leadership role in the national conversation.

Register your comments here: CPA Trendlines 2-Minute Survey: Fix the Tax System

CPA Trendlines is polling the profession with a two-minute survey asking for specific recommendations for changing the code, the regs, the instructions and the forms – whatever it takes to make life easier for CPAs and the American taxpayer. (The call was not to reduce or increase taxes, just to simplify them.)

The earliest responses call for a diverse set of approaches: READ MORE →

‘Time Problems’ Don’t Exist

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Businessman hiding clock in his suit jacketManagement problems do, though, and here are 3 solutions.

By Sandi Smith, CPA
Accountant’s Accelerator

I know it’s a bold statement and a lot of you will disagree. But please have an open mind and hear me out.

Time is the great equalizer. We all have the same number of hours in a day, yet some entrepreneurs, many of them self-made, become wildly successful, while others languish. Only one in 20 business owners in the U.S. (2002 numbers) make it past $1 million in annual revenues. I believe the way they use their time is a big factor in their success or failure.

MORE ON SMALL-FIRM GROWTH STRATEGIES: 7 Ways to Get New Revenue from Old Clients | Draw New Clients In Like a Magnet | 11 Ways to Add Value for Clients | 5 Things You Know That Clients Don’t | 3 Ways to Test Your Revenue Forecast | 8 Must-Haves for a Prospect Kit | Whip Out the Wow Factor for Clients | How to Work the Same Hours and Make More Money | BUSY SEASON SURVIVAL TIPS: 5 Ways to Turn a Tough Day Into a Great One | Take Advantage of 4 Key Marketing Strategies  | Four Ways to Stop Leaving Money on the Table | 15 Items for Your ‘Business Bucket List’ | 3 Ways to Plug Your Firm’s Money Leaks

Here are three better explanations of your time problem:

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Moving to the Cloud? Do These 6 Things First

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Pile out of outdated computer equipmentHow to know when to scrap your old server.

By Roman H. Kepczyk
Quantum of Paperless

In almost every firm, the core computers used for all applications are internal file servers. Down time for a day or two is a disaster. If that out-of-service stoppage stretches to a week or more, your partner income will suffer measurably.

MORE ON TECH SPENDING: 4 Steps to Save On Hardware Spending | In a Pinch, Use Your Phone as a Scanner | Do You Have 3 Computer Monitors? Why Not? | Standardize QuickBooks Support for Clients | How to Choose the Right Client Portal Solution | Streamlining Bill-Paying at CPA Firms | Automating Bank Deposits Offers Instant ROI | How to ‘Go Digital’ when Partners Demand Monthly P&Ls on Paper | The 3 Reasons Firms Are Migrating to Digital Timesheets | Digital Tools Streamline Audit Production | Tech Tools for Today’s Properly Equipped Field Audit Teams

Simply put, mission-critical servers utilized for tax, audit, time and billing, and email have, at most, an effective five-year life.

READ MORE →